A Comparison of 3 NIH New Innovator Awards (DP2): Office of the Director High-Risk, High-Reward; NIDA; and NIAID

COMPARISON OF THREE NIH DP2 MECHANISMSJuly 2025

NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

NIDA Avenir Award Program for Research on Substance Use Disorders

NIAID New Innovators Award

Brief Description

Two goals: stimulating bold and highly innovative research and supporting promising ESIs.

Designed specifically to support unusually creative investigators with bold and highly innovative research ideas at an early stage of their career when they may lack the preliminary data required for a conventional R01. Emphasis is on innovation and creativity; preliminary data not required but may be included. Review process emphasizes individual’s creativity, innovativeness of research approaches, and potential of project to have a significant impact on an important biomedical or behavioral research problem.

Supports ESIs proposing highly innovative studies at the nexus of substance use disorders (SUD) and HIV.

Applications should clearly describe the nexus with substance use and/or SUD. Award designed to support creative individuals who wish to pursue innovative research approaches that support NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and have the potential to benefit substance using populations with or at risk for HIV.

Supports both basic and clinical research approaches.

Supports postdoc and other candidates in non-independent positions or newly independent ESIs of exceptional creativity who propose novel, original and insightful research concepts with the potential to produce a major impact, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research of priority to NIAID.

Applications proposing unexpected convergence of disciplines, new scientific directions, or use of novel methodologies are encouraged. Applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and in any topic relevant to NIAID mission are welcome.

RFA-RM-25-002(CT optional)

PAR-23-125(CT optional)

PAR-23-198(CT not allowed)

Participating Orgs

Common Fund, all NIH ICs

NIDA

NIAID

Expiration Date

Aug 16, 2025

Oct 11, 2025

Eligibility

• Applicants must meet definition of an ESI at time of submission.Applicants must hold an independent research position at a domestic (U.S.) institution by Sept 1, 2025. An “independent research position” is a position that automatically confers eligibility to the investigator (based on institutional policy) to apply for R01 grants with appropriate institutional commitment of facilities for the conduct of the proposed research. Investigators still in training or mentored status (such as postdoctoral fellows) are not eligible to apply unless they have a written commitment from the institution stating they will be in an independent faculty position by September 1, 2025. The commitment is certified by the institution’s submission of the application.

• Applicants must meet the definition of an ESI at time of submission.Applicants must hold an independent research position at a domestic (U.S.) institution as of Sept 1 of the fiscal year of competition (Federal Fiscal Year starts Oct 1 and ends Sept 30). For the purpose of this FOA, independent research position means a position that automatically confers eligibility, by applicant’s institutional policy, for an investigator to apply for R01 grants, with an appropriate commitment of facilities to be used for the conduct of the proposed research. Investigators still in training or mentored status (postdoctoral fellows) may apply if, by receipt date, they have a written commitment of an independent faculty position as of Sept 1 of the fiscal year of the competition.

• Must be a postdoc, non-independent, or newly independent investigator (defined as within the first year of a faculty position or equivalent at a U.S. based institution at time of submission) who also has ESI status.Does NOT require faculty appointment at the time of application.Applicants must have a research or clinical doctorate (including PhD, MD, DO, DC, ND, DDS, DVM, ScD, DNS, PharmD, or equivalent doctoral degree), or a combined research and clinical doctoral degree.Newly independent applicants: Applicant must be within the first year of a faculty position or equivalent at a U.S. based institution at time of submission.Postdoctoral and other non-independent applicants: If selected for award, applicants must transition to an independent faculty position or equivalent at a U.S.-based institution within one year in order to activate the award.Individuals are eligible if they have been, or currently are, PD/PI of an NIH R03 or R21 grant or an equivalent non-NIH award.

Other Grants Allowed?

Applicants may submit or have an NIH R01 or other grant application (including an ESI MIRA R35 application) pending concurrently with their NIH Director’s New Innovator Award application, but scientific overlap is not allowed per NIH policy. If a pending grant becomes active prior to the New Innovator Award, and the grant mechanism is not on the list of smaller NIH grants and awards that maintain ESI status, the applicant is no longer eligible to receive the New Innovator Award.

Applicants may submit or have an R01 (or other equivalent) grant application pending concurrently with their Avenir Award application. If applicant receives an R01 before the Avenir can be awarded, then the investigator is no longer eligible for an Avenir award. Please see section 3, below, for more information about limitations on overlapping applications.

Applicants may submit or have an NIH R01 or equivalent grant application pending concurrently with their NIAID New Innovator Award application if it does not overlap substantially with their NIAID New Innovator Award application. However, if that pending grant becomes active prior to the NIAID New Innovator Award, the applicant is no longer eligible to receive the NIAID New Innovator Award.

Applicants may submit or have NIH Research Career Development Awards pending concurrently with their NIAID New Innovator Award application as long as the projects are not highly overlapping. However, NIAID New Innovator Recipients are not eligible for concurrent or subsequent Research Career Development Awards of any type such as mentored K or R00 career development awards. If applicant is awarded a Research Career Development Award, the NIAID New Innovator Award cannot be awarded until the applicant relinquishes the Research Career Development Award.

Multi PD/PI Allowed?

No

No

No

Required Effort

Awardees are required to commit at least 3 person-months (25%) of their research effort each year to activities supported by the New Innovator Award.

A statement must be included that, if chosen to receive an award, the applicant will commit a minimum of 25% or 3 person months of his/her research effort to the project supported by the Avenir Award Program for Research on Substance Use Disorders and HIV

Recipients are required to commit at least 3 person-months (25%) of their research effort each year to activities supported by the NIAID DP2 award.

Award Budget

3yr segment: Up to $900,000 Direct Costs

2yr segment: Up to $600,000 Direct Costs

For each segment applicable Facilities and Administrative costs (F&A) should be added.

$375,000 in Direct Costs each year for up to 4 years, plus applicable Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs to be determined at the time of award

$300K direct costs per year including travel costs

Award Project Period

Max 5 years

(issued in two multi-year funded segments with a 3yr award followed by a 2yr award)

Max 4 years

Max 5 years